Matthew Watt is Associate Professor at Parkland College teaching Drawing, Painting, and Digital Art.
Artist Statement:
I am a divergent thinker. I consider process first and product second. I find content and meaning through making work, rather than planning a solution to a defined problem. Over time, themes coalesce through the images, and I can verbalize the ideas dwelling in the artwork.
In my latest series of drawings, I begin with the observation and fragmentation of common objects. By using the contours, shapes and surfaces of things, I create an abstract organization that evokes a larger pictorial space. This is a space populated by visual tension. I intend for them to evoke a sense of movement, perhaps upheaval. This visual movement and tension is a record, or perhaps a kind of map, of mind.
I want to be surprised by the transformation in my drawings. For this reason, I spend a good amount of time exploring various means of drawing. In my current series I use graphite, mineral spirits, watercolor and ink. Some of the contours are drawn on the paper, while some are made by relief. I am interested in revealing the application of materials in the finished drawing.
Recent Work:
